BLACKBURN winger Damien Duff has targeted Monday night's Premiership clash with West Bromwich Albion as the date for his Rovers return.

Duff has been sidelined for the last two weeks after tearing a thigh muscle while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland in Moscow.

But the 23-year-old wing-man today delivered the news his manager Graeme Souness has been desperate to hear by revealing he is hoping to resume full training later this week.

And he is confident he can prove his fitness in time to play a part at the Hawthorns before then boosting Rovers' UEFA Cup bid in Sofia three days later.

"The scan has showed everything has healed up now so I'm just trying to build things up a bit this week," said Duff.

"If all goes to plan I'm hoping to be back in training on Friday and then I'll be looking to be involved in some capacity on Monday night.

"I won't have lost any general fitness over the last two weeks so if I can train over the weekend then I should have a chance.

"But I certainly want to be involved if it's at all possible because it's been frustrating having to sit out the last few games."

Rovers have enjoyed some mixed results in Duff's absence but he was perhaps most sorely missed when Souness's patched-up side could only manage a draw in last week's UEFA Cup first round first leg with CSKA Sofia which leaves the tie delicately balanced going into the second leg.

"That was a big disappointment to miss out on that because that was a game I'd been looking forward to all summer," said Duff.

"The club has waited years to get back into Europe but I'm still confident we can do the business next Thursday.

"It would be brilliant to get through and maybe draw one of the bigger teams in the next round.

"I know the gaffer has said it's not his number one priority but as far as myself and the rest of the young players are concerned, we want to win every game we play in, especially if it's on the European stage."

Duff puts his speedy recovery down to the professionalism of Rovers' medical team who have worked around the clock to get him back on the road to full fitness during the last 10 days.

"It's actually harder being injured than when you are fit because of the amount of work you have to put in so it's a gradual process but Dave Fevre, Paul Kelly and the doc have been great with me," added Duff.

"They must be the best medical team in the country and I'm sure the rest of the lads would agree with me on that."

With Duff now on the mend, that leaves Souness to sweat on the fitness of strikers Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke who are both battling to recover from hamstring injuries in time for the West Brom trip.